Self-closing gate



Nov. 20 1923.

G. H. KNUTSON SELF CLOSING GATE Filed April 14 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES m N M U A WITNESSES Nov. 20 1923? I 1,474,676

G. H. KNUTSON SELF CLOSING GATE Filed April 14. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 kwj A TTORNEYS Patented Nov. 20, 1923.

UNITED STATES GOTTHARD H. KNUTSON, OF PELICAN RAPIDS, MINNESOTA.

SELF-CLOSING GATE.

Anplication filed April 14, 1922. Serial No. 552,538.

I '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Go'r'rHAnD I-I. KNUT- SON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pelican Rapids, in the county of 6 Ottertail and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Closing Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gates of the socalled self opening and self closing type.

An important object of this invention is to provide an automatic gate whereby the same is elevated by the Weight of a vehicle when on either of the pair of runways at opposite sides of the gate.

Further the invention aims to provide simple means whereby the gate may be lowered when the vehicle passes beneath the same.

Further the invention forming the subject matter of this application aims to provide means whereby the gate is locked in its lowermost position and released by contact of the releasing trigger with the wheels of the vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gate of the character specified, entirely automatic in its operation and cheap to manufacure.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved gate.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the same.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective of the gate.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating the means for holding the gate in its lowermost position.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numerals 5 designate a pair of spaced parallel upright guides having their opposed vertical sides formed with grooves for the reception of the end portions of the gate 6 which may be of the construction illustrated or any desired construction. The upper ends of the spaced parallel uprights 5 are joined by a connecting means 7 which not only serves as I a bracing device for the uprights but also limits the upward movement of the sliding gate.

In carrying out the invention the upper edge of the vertically movable gate 6 has connection with a pair of suitably stout cables 8 which are trained over pulleys 9 carried by the top of the uprights 5 and said cables 8 extend downwardly and outwardly from the upper end of the upright guides 5 and are trained about guide pulleys 10. The guide pulleys 10 are carried by the lower portions of fence posts 11 in the plane of the upright guides 5.

The lower ends of the cables 8 extend inwardly from the pulleys 10 and have connection with the long branches 14 of a pair of levers 16 which as illustrated particu larly in Figure 3 are movably and slidably supported by rollers 18 carried by the lower portions of the guides 5.

It will be seen that when the inner or short branches 20 of the levers 16 are moved downwardly the levers will be moved outwardly and consequently the same will partake of a sliding movement on the rollers 18 upon which the same are mounted.

Figure 3 of the drawing illustrates that the short inner branches 20 of the levers 16 are pivoted to the inner portions of runways 22 arranged in pairs on the opposite sides of the gate. That is to say the levers 16 of which there are two are arranged at one side of the gate and have pivoted connection with the adjacent pair of runways 16 as indicated at 23. r

The weight of the gate is greater than the weight of the run-ways and consequently the gate normally occupies a closed position as illustrated in full lines in Figure 1. However, when a vehicle runs onto the run-way on either side of the gate the runways will be depressed and the branches 20 of the levers 16 will be moved downwardly and outwardly. This downward and outward. movement of the branches 20 will cause the outer ends of the levers to move upwardly with the result that the lower ends of the cables are drawn upwardly. This movement of the cables 8 draws the gate 6 upwardly to the dotted line position illustrated in Figure 1 whereupon a vehicle may freely pass beneath the ate. g With reference to Figure 2 it will be seen that the run-ways 22 on opposite sides of the gate are connected by means of substantially -U-shaped yokes 26 and the ground beneath the yokes cut away so that when the run-ways are depressed the yoke may move downwardly without interference by the ground. The yokes 26 which are rigidly connected to the run-ways cause the run-ways on opposite sides of the gate to operate in unison so that when one of the run-ways is depressed by the vehicle going beneath the gate the other run-ways will be directly beneath the front wheels of the vehicle. Further the run-ways 22 when held. in a downward position hold the gate in an upward position so that it will not close until the vehicle moves completely oil the run-ways.

The gate 6 may be held in its lowermost position by means of locking bolts 35 slidably carried by guide straps 36 secured to the undersides or the runways 22. If the bolts 35 are urged beyond the inner end of the run-ways 22 by means of coiled springs 36 confined between shoulders 37 on the bolts and downwardly extended stop members or shoulders 38 securely connected to the under side of the run-ways.

Tripping cables 40 are connected to the rear ends of the bolts 35 and have connection with the lower portions of U-shaped tripping devices 41 having bight portions extended across the top of the run-ways 22. As illustrated in Fig. 1 the tripping devices are of U-shaped formation and the sides of the same are pivoted or hinged intermediate their ends to the edges of the run-ways as illustrated at 4:4. The upper portion of one side of one U-shaped tripping device is connected to the lower portion of one side of the other tripping device on the other side of the gate by means of a cable 46 so that the several tripping devices on the opposite sides of the gate are caused to operate together. Therefore, when the front wheels of a vehicle strike the U-shaped tripping devices 41 at one side of the gate for releasing the latch on that side of the gate the latch on the other side of the gate will also be released.

The locking bolts 35 which normally extend beyond the run-way engage brackets 50 carried by the gate and the under sides of the brackets are inclined as indicated at 51 so that when the gate is moved clownwardly the inclined sides 51 will contact with the curved upper sides of the bolt and temporarily move the same to their retracted positions whereby the brackets may move beneath the bolts. Vhen the brackets are thus positioned beneath the locking bolts 35 the gate is securely and positively held in its lowermost position and will be released only by the actuation of the tripping devices 41.

lVith reference to the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be seen that as the vehicle runs onto the run-ways at one side of the gate the tripping devices ll will be actuated so as to release the locking bolts from engagement with the brackets 50. The continued movement of the vehicle onto the run-ways 22 will swing the levers 15 whereby to cause the same to assume the position illustrated in Figure l in dotted lines.

With the levers thus positioned as illustratedin dotted lines in Figure l the gate is elevated so that the vehicle may freely pass beneath the same.

As previously stated, as the vehicle passes beneath the gate it runs onto the run-way at the opposite side or" the gate and the gate is held in an elevated position until the vehicle has passed.

Having thus described the invention, whatis claimed is 1. A gate comprising guide-ways, a gate slidably carried thereby, cables connected to the gate, levers slidably and pivotally carried by said guide-ways and having connection with said cables, run-ways having connection with the inner ends of the levers and forming an approach to the gate, said ruir ways being arranged on opposite sides of the gate, yokes arranged beneath the gate and having sides connected to the ends of said run-ways, and locking bolts slidably carried by said run-ways and adapted ,for normally holding the gate in its lower position.

2. A gate comprising guide-ways, a gate slidably carried thereby, cables connected to the gate, levers slidably and pivotally carried by said guide-ways and having connection with said cables, run-ways having connection with the inner ends of the levers and forming an approach to the gate, said runways being arranged on opposite sides of the gate. yokes arranged beneath the gate and having; sides connected to the ends of said run-ways, locking bolts slidably carried by said run-ways and adapted for normally holding the gate in its lower position, and lock releasing tripping members carried by said run-ways and having transversely extending vehicle contact portions.

3. The combination of a pair of guideways, a gate slidably carried thereby. cables connected to said gate, pulleys carried by the upper portions of said guides and constituting a guide means for said cables, posts arranged in the plane of said guides, pulleys connected to said posts and forming guide means for said cables, rollers carried by said guides, levers slidably mounted on said rollers and having long outer branches and short inner branches, the long outer branches being connected directly to said cable, and run-ways arranged at opposite sides of the gate, the run-ways on one side of the gate being directly and pivotally connected to the inner portions of the short branches of said levers, and a locking device arranged between the run-ways and the gate, whereby to normally hold the gate in its closed position.

4. The combination of a pair of guideways, a gate slidably carried thereby, cables connected to said gate, pulleys carried by the upper portions of said guides and constituting a guide means for said cables, posts arranged in the plane of said guides, pulleys connected to said posts and forming guide means for said cables, rollers carried by said guides, levers slidably mounted on said rollers and having long outer branches and short inner branches, the long outer branches being connected directly to said cable, and run-Ways arranged at opposite sides of the gate, the run-ways on one side of the gate being directly and pivotally connected to the inner portions of the short branches of said levers, spring actuated bolts carried by the inner portions of said run-ways, brackets carried by said gate and engaged by said bolts, tripping cables connected to said bolts, U-shaped tripping devices having sides pivoted to the edges of said run-ways adjacent the lower end of the same, and cables connecting the tripping devices for movement together.

5. The combination of a pair of guideways, a gate slidably carried thereby, cables connected to said gate, pulleys carried by the upper portions of said guides and constituting a guide means for said cables, posts ar ranged in the plane of said guides, pulleys connected to said posts and forming guide means for said cables, rollers carried by said guides, levers slidably mounted on said rollers and having long outer branches and short inner branches, the long outer branches being connected directly to said cable, and run-Ways arranged at opposite sides of the gate, the run-ways on one side of the gate being directly and pivotally connected to the inner portions of the short branches of said levers, spring actuated bolts carried by the inner portions of said run-ways, brackets carried by said gate and engaged by said bolts, tripping cables connected to said bolts, U-shaped tripping devices having sides pivoted to the edges of said run-ways adjacent the lower end of the same, cables connecting the tripping devices for movement together, and yokes connecting said runways. for movement together, and being disposed beneath the gate.

GOTTHARD H. KNUTSON. 

